Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised Friedrich Merz, her successor as leader of the country's conservatives, on Thursday for pushing through a bill on tighter immigration control with the help of the far right.

Polls show conservative leader Friedrich Merz’s Union leading ahead of the Feb. 23 election with around 30% support, while AfD is second with about 20%.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday criticized her opposition centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) for passing a motion in parliament for hard-line reforms to migration policy with votes from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Germany's government has slashed its 2025 growth forecast for the country’s economy, Europe’s biggest, to just 0.3% after it shrank for two consecutive years.

The German government on Wednesday slashed its growth forecasts for 2025 as industry leaders sent dire warnings over the country's economic health and staged nationwide protests to urge reforms.

The German government slashed its gross domestic product expectations Wednesday, saying it was now forecasting just 0.3% growth in 2025.